Thursday, May 04, 2006

A Big Brick in The Nasty Wall

The selection of guard Paul McQuistan in the third round is looking better by the day. Not only has he already acquired two nicknames—The Irish Giant (courtesy of yours truly) and Malachai (courtesy of Stick’Em, in reference to the Children of The Corn character)—and not only does he have a twin brother who was selected by the Cowboys (for a grand total of 630 pounds worth of McQuistans drafted last weekend), but he is also responsible for the following email received by Raider Take from Josh, a diehard Raiders fan in Oregon:

“I don't mean to brag but the third round draft pick of the Raiders is a local boy here in Oregon. His brother-in-law and sister were at my home when he was drafted by the Silver & Black. Trust me when I say it was utter pandemonium. Anyway, I think that you and all other Raiders fans need to know this kid is nasty and will fit right into the Raider image. Mark my words on this one!!!”

That clinches it for me. I’ve just got a good feeling about this one. How could you not? This dude’s been on our team for a week and he’s already got his own lore. I think we should have drafted the whole McQuistan family, the brother, the sister, everyone. Spread them across the line and our quarterback will be sitting pretty.

It may take Paul McQuistan some time to get acclimated to the NFL, but in the long run, I’ve got a feeling that he’s going to bust some chops, bang some heads and add another big brick to the nasty wall.

34 Comments:

raider00 said...

RT, I hope you are right about Malachai,(Stick'em, I've got to brush up on my B movies). I hope all the players drafted by the Raiders will play with, as Al calls it, "A Will To Win". We need this more then anything else. Way back when during the great glory days of the Raiders, Al would seek out just this kind of player. The roster was filled with guys like, Bob Chandler, Mike Davis, Kenny King, Burgess Owens, Bob Nelson, Frank Hawkins, I could go on for days. These guys weren't the greatest athletes, but just die hard, try hard, all heart, football players. We need this back again. Somewhere along the line, Al Davis fell in love with the James Jett/Patrick Bates types. Guys who looked good in the uniform, but couldn't play a lick, and didn't give a damn. I hope Al, perhaps with a nudge from big Art, has snapped out of this spell. We need guys to play with heart, and fire, and determination, next yr. We need blood, and guts. If we can't beat the Donkey's, Chefs, & Charmers next yr, lets at least punish them. Then, maybe in 2 yrs, we'll be able to beat, & punish them. This is my dream.

Holy crap! With him and Gallery, this line gives the term "big uglies" a whole new meaning! This guy makes me reckon back to that old late 70's-early 80's cartoon character dog named Yuck who was so hideous he wore a doghouse on his head and removed it to scare bad guys away. I think Al should petition the league to let the o-line play without helmets to further terrify the opponent.

When they picked him on Saturday I went from "Who the hell is that?" to "I love this pick!" in record time! If you've seen any video highlights of this kid, he really reminds you of Wiz. Especially on one play when he wiped out some poor LB for the sin of standing around a pile!

By the way, I'm all for fun nicknames but I'm not sure we should welcome the kid to Oakland by comparing him to someone with a physical deformity...

Now we have three linemen not above cleaning a guy off the pile or punching a d-lineman in the fruit [Grove, Gallery, McQ]. Maybe some nasty will rub off on our gentler linemen [Mr Walker, your table's ready....]

The O-Lineman who were on our roster last year better take notice. With the drafting of McQ, Boothe, Morris, the FA signing of Garmon, and the hiring of Art, the only 2 O-Line positions that seem secured are LT and C.

Is this our opening day O-Line?

LT - GalleryLG - SimsC - GroveRG - McQRT - Slaughter

Finally, what clinched it for me was at the end of McQ's video where there is a reference to his mullet.

Could be, Calico. I have no doubt that under Art the meanest and most merciless will start...and everything I read about Boothe says he goes out of his way to smack people in the mouth. Now if Wiz comes back as offensive assitant....

I'm sold. McQ is mean and nasty, but by all accounts doesn't take a lot of penalties. That'll change with they way the ref's like to target us, but it'll be fun to watch RT's dream come true.

By the way, chicks dig him.

Calico, thanks for the links / video's on your sight. I noticed Huff-Daddy likes to tackle high on the shoulders. That's an area of concern, it won't work as well in the NFL. But the fact that he tackles at all is an upgrade for us.

Did anyone notice we signed 2 rookie WR's (last pick and an undrafted rookie FA). I think we're going to trade one of our WR's soon to address other needs.

Starting to get excited about this McQuistan guy too, now that I see all the press he's getting. How about the nickname "Irish Thing" for him? It's little more savage-sounding than the soap that bears a similar name - and, obviously, in this case,said in a most respectful, luv-ya-Raiders way. Canadian Raider, Alberta chapter.

I like the nick name "Mc Nasty" myself..the kid is a road grader. I truly see this kid eventually taking up one of our Guard spots. Needs to work on his footwork a little bit as he tends to lean foward a bit and will get thrown down to the ground by NFL linemen. With his long arms and strength though, if he gets a hold of you...DONE. I think the guy turns out to be a gem and by next year is a full blown starter. With Slater, Shell and Eatman teaching this kid we may have another "WHIZ." Oh by the way, his nickname in college was "Shrek."

PS...Thomas Howard will be lights out for us. Huff work on the tackling technique (way too high) and I think we have us a solid draft.

With Art Shell at head coach and the o-line being co-coached by Jackie Slater and Irv Eatman, there can be *no* excuses for the line underperforming this year. None. In fact, I expect this line to be one of the top five lines in the league.

Michael Huff, SS, Oakland: I hate to see great talents wind up in dysfunctional organizations. Unfortunately for Huff, the Raiders have become a place where even the most gifted of young players can underachieve.

It has something to do with the freedom they get from owner Al Davis, who has a way of letting his favorite players do whatever they want while the head coach, Art Shell in this case, loses all credibility. It happened with Charles Woodson. It happened with Darrell Russell. And those are the people who could actually play.

I'm hoping Huff is mentally strong enough to deal with an environment filled with very few characters worth following."

What? Did Al Davis' Cadillac accidentally run over little Jeffri's shitzu, “Snookims,” when he was a kid?

Not to get off the topic but, I see that Priest Holmes is trying to come back from serious neck injury. Is there any chance he will get waived and picked up by the Raiders ? Speed at running back was not addressed in the draft and a Jordan/Holmes backfield would be interesting, and fun to watch. Anybody think this can happen ?

I like shrek as a nick name but m]McNasty has a good ring to it...if he is as good as we are making him sound call him whatever... I relly liked the draft for us but time and time again people think we are inept about drafting players, when all teams, in every sport have problems drafting players that pan out. Roger Clemens was the 19th pick of a draft that featured 0 all-star appearances by picks 1-18. I love my Raiders Baby... We are the best fans... albeit we do have our own dress code...maybe if some of us could speak calmly as well as intelectually when defending the greatest team of the UNIVERSE we could convince others we are not as stupid as they think...if that doest work THEN proceed to stabing them in the neck JK...I am pumped, as I am every year about out team, San Diego will take a while with the new QB, jake the fake will throw another left handed INT, and the chefs have only one guy who can catch the ball!! Forget the autumn wind the Spring wind is a Pirate, and we are coming to get ya!

As far as McQ goes, you can't call him Irish anything. Wouldn't be right. He is a mean Scot. Wild to get his clan some justice, like Braveheart. His name "McQistan" comes from Mac Uist meaning "Sons of the Isle of Uist" an actual island off the western scotish boarder. I've heard it said by the big islanders on the Isle of Skye overlooking the smaller Uist that , "Nothing good comes from Uist. Just a pack of wildmen." Looks like that is just what the Raiders wanted.

Wow, what a response to Mr. McQuistan! The outpouring has been phenomenal on this take. This dude is going to be legend before his big feet touch Oakland soil.

Now, for any McQuistan friends and family who might be offended by any of the proposed nicknames, please know that quirky, descriptive nicknames are a great Raider Nation tradition. The Mad Stork, The Ghost, etc. These are usually reserved for Raiders legends, so consider it a very good sign that the nickname process is well underway.

I do like McNasty. Has anyone mentioned Bunyon, since his name is Paul? I guess that's a little trite. For McQuistan family and friends who might be getting acclimated to this whole Raiders thing, understand that "nasty" is the new battle cry under Coach Art Shell, so to carry that banner would be an honor in these parts.

So much for the "Irish" Giant. According to McQuistan's sister (geez, I hope that's really her, wouldn't that be cool?), the family name is Scottish. Makes sense, that "Q" is kind of a tip off.

As for Anonymous, who has known Paul McQuistan since he was a wee child, please know that we would never confuse long red hair with a bad heart. In fact, we know that Paul McQuistan has a huge heart because we saw him, in his draft video, blasting guys after the whistle was probably blown. That's the kind of heart we like and need in Oakland.

My vote is for McNasty. These are exactly the types of players we need. Mean and nasty with small egos. I was really disappointed with our line last year. I thought we had the talent to have one of the top five O'Lines in all of football. Hopefully Art & Slater can instill some toughness into these guys.

the response to this kid around these parts is unreal!!! have to admit i'm kinda caught up in it myself. but i must warn, and you all know this, but when your really really hungry and you find a cracker to eat, you take one little bitty bite and think dang this is the best damn cracker i ever had, what kind of cracker is this, i gotta get some of these!!!

i liked Braveheart McNasty (nice one jack)tho the Mc part does sound a bit mcdonalds. alltho i'm sure that mr Braveheart McQ might argue that point.

i had i kid i coached couple years ago that we called shrek, fit him, and it kinda fits our new boy too. big ol' overly strong hulk of a man that he is.

i say let the kid prove himself by FIRST making the team. second, over time and by playing hard he'll have to EARN the respect of us fans before getting a nickname. he hasn't done squat yet and neither has huff or the other draftees for that matter.

i'd like to see where he is in 2 or 4 years. i hope his nickname is mcawesome.

With all the hype surrounding this guy's name, I've found myself reflecting on why it is important to us. Why someone like me, who has read Raider chatroom chatter for years, and never joined in, would rise up and embrace him as a man yet untested on the field.

I believe it is because he is the right man, in the right place, at a sorely needed time. Fans need a new face of nasty. Something primeval, unpolished, uncluttered by convention. A man who simply loves to play raw and is big enough to do it on a scale where we all can see him. A gladiator spirit who could care if we like the looks of his speckled mug, and shakes his half tamed mane at the new millinium.

Had we been paying closer attention, we might have loved him sooner, or found reason by now to esteem him less, but he snuck in on us and caught us unawares. Initially, we were frightend by him. Nervous we needed somehting better, but his brute face snarled us back and said, "I'm your man, deal with it."

Raiders want the crisp autumnal wind to blow a new chill into the hearts of defenders, and this red giant came gusting in early Spring. We embrace him without knowing what he will be, because we embrace ourselves as Raider Fans, not knowing yet what this team will be. He is the everyman. He is the everyfan.

Understanding this gave me a little more liberty to contemplate his moniker. While Braveheart sounds too trite, and I'll admit, a bit chick flickish to me, I gave a careful consideration to the comparative material. I looked into the life of William Wallace, the true life hero on which the film Braveheart was based. The more I read, the more I liked the simple "WALLACE" for so many reasons.

First, he was a Scot and our McQ carries the same fierce blood stock. He was a groundswell leader. Defender of the homeland (read Nation.) Nice guy until you met him on the field. Tear your heart out if you touched what was dear to him. Etc. Ect. Ect.

I also like "Wallace", the "Wall that will knock you on your Ass"

The fact that it rings with Walrus, a mass of creation untethered by beauty is well. . . .

a bonus!

Yeah, he may break something before the season opens, or spend a year on the bench getting seasoned. He could come to a number of ends untimely, but this isn't about him, or what WILL happen. McQuistan is about our hopes. He is a cult hero because he allows us all to hope.

I'm not afraid to stand behind the man. I need a leader. I need to hope. I hope Wallace sounds the battle cry and charges over the hill taking us all with him.

I understand the reasoning behind this McQuistan naming phenomenon among my fellow brothers in arms, The Raider Nation. As one man on this site rightly put it, the Raider Nation is in a similar state as Scotland was in Wallace's time. In need of a leader, someone to believe in. Someone who can bring hope to a downtrodden people.Someone who could lead them into battle and help them get back the glory they had lost over time.

Yes, my brothers and sisters in arms, I can comprehend the almost cult-like following the young lad has attained in such a short period of time.....

However, knowing the lad as I do and reading the post about William Wallace, a thought came to my mind that there will be no need for the lad to be anointed with a new name. The lad is very proud of his own given name, McQuistan, of this you can be sure. Just as William Wallace was proud of his own given name in his day.

It is very hard to see the end from the beginning, and I don't profess to be a prophet of any kind. Yet knowing the lad as I do, he will toil, sweat, battle and bleed until the name McQuistan is as revered a name to the Raider Nation as the name Wallace is to the Scots.

So go ahead, and name him if ya like..... but when it is all said and done, the lad will only be satisfied when his own given name, McQuistan, can be placed alongside the names of Otto, Shell and Upshaw. Raider Hall of Fame Linemen and Living Legends of the Raider Nation.